City Image - Anorrus

Anorrus, capitol of Marcosia, lies along both sides of the mighty and wide Rhenus River.

Anorrus, capitol of Marcosia, lies along both sides of the mighty and wide Rhenus River. It’s wall is octagonal in shape, with eight guard towers on each side of the river. There are a pair of gates in each side of the wall. The western gates are the Castus Gate and the Aelestus Gate. The eastern gates are the Crow Gate and the Theophilion Gate.

Anorrus’ buildings are mostly of stone, local gray granite and plastered riverstones, or sandstone. Distinctive black-and-white lightning marble brought in from the Thunderclap Mountains is also seen in the wealthy homes. The Mithraic style, an architectural movement begun by the temples of Mitras, favors squared-off, single structures with large windows to allow the sunlight to flow in. Anorrus does not get as much snow as many other Marcosian cities, so its roofs are not steeply-pitched. Many older structures are roofed in the famous red tiles, imported from Arcturus, though the expense of those is such that newer structures are often roofed in wooden shingles. This style is very popular in Anorrus, and most structures are built in this style. In the poorer structures of town, there are tenements constructed of timbers and plaster, which are prone to burn down.

Anorrus has much-wider streets than any other city in the Armorican Kingdoms, and is famous for this. Streets are wide enough for two ox-carts to roll abreast. The main streets are paved in thin blocks of granite, while the less-important fares are riverstone, or simple dirt. Market streets are packed-earth, scattered with straw. Streets are slightly bowed, higher in the middle than at the sides. That way, garbage, sewage, and water flow down into the gutters, which generally don’t go anywhere, and the sewage and garbage decay together into a rotting soup of hideous character.

Most of the Anorrian city is two stories. Some of the poorer folk dwell in wood-and-plaster tenements that may be three stories. But the tallest structure in the city is the High Hallow of Mitras, which is constructed atop a high artificial hill.

At night, the streets remain unlit, except where the owners of houses or private businesses have hung lanterns. These are infrequent, since wicks and oil are expensive, and the lights are often stolen.

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I like the way this one explains all the odd historical details. You could almost believe there was a The Mithraic style. By formating the ideas in the architectural, you get a more concrete feel for the place (no pun intended) and more versimilitude (the fancy gamer world for "realistic feeling").

This post has a nice flavor and gives a bit of a view into the city. Personally, I would like to see more detail and would have to add such before I could incorporate it into my own campaign.

Here are some thoughts/ideas:
How do they handle the river running through town? Do they have bridges? Do sailing ships sail down the river? Do they have a small port for these ships?

How old is the city? Is it packed within the city walls? Does newer part of the city outside the walls? If it is an older city, is there more than one layer of walls? Is there open space within the walls.

If they have buildings that so easily burn, do they do anything to prevent it? Is there clear dividing lines between the rich and the less rich?

What is the High Hallow of Mitras? Why was the ground under it built up? Was it built on the ruins of some other important structure? Is it a major focal point for the surrounding area?

A nice one, but by listing proper nouns and facts that aren't visually descriptive we get away from painting a picture and start cataloging things. It becomes in those case more a city summary than city image.

Link Backs

In the harbour of a major city a large and terrifying ship made of human nails docks. Nobody seems to inhabit this ominous vessel, someone needs to go on board and unveil the mystery. In comes the PCs.